NFL Waiver Wire Pickups: Top Adds & Free Agent Targets

Top Five Fantasy Football Waiver Wire Pickups

1. Caleb Douglas
2. Kaelon Black
3. Devaughn Vele
4. Dontayvion Wicks
5. Tyler Allgeier

The hardest line to walk after Week 1 is deciding whether a takeaway from the opening week is an overreaction or the right reaction.

In Week 1 of the 2025 season, Keon Coleman caught 8 passes for 112 yards and a touchdown on 11 targets.

He had a 30-292-3 line the rest of the year.

Justin Fields was the QB2 with a 12-48-2 rushing line after one week last year.

He had two more top-12 performances before being benched for the rest of the season.

We can't know for sure what Week 1 performances will stick and which ones will be remembered as flashes in the pan.

The best we can do is look at the usage, analyze the game situations that led to the breakout performances, and do our best to determine whether we should put stock in the big games.

Conversely, we can look for unexpected high usage for players who, for whatever reason, did not convert that usage into fantasy stats.

Those players often become good values in early-season FAAB bidding, so we will try to identify a few this week.

As a reminder, recommended adds are available in at least 60% of ESPN leagues, and the watch list consists of players worth monitoring.

The deep cuts section for running backs and receivers highlights players who are rostered in fewer than 5% of ESPN leagues, for all you “not in my league” degens.

I will not list recommended FAAB percentages for every player because a much better resource for researching what you need to bid is available, thanks to our friends at FAABLab.

Finally, I won't rank kickers and defenses because, frankly, I don't care about them and would like to see them disappear from the game.

With those caveats out of the way, let's get to it.

Best Week 2 Waiver Wire Pickups: Quarterback

1. Carson Wentz
2. C.J. Stroud
3. Malik Willis

Best Week 2 Waiver Wire Pickups: Running Back

1. Kaelon Black
2. Tyler Allgeier
3. Chris Rodriguez
4. Chris Brooks
5. Kaleb Johnson
6. George Holani

Best Week 2 Waiver Wire Pickups: Wide Receiver

1. Caleb Douglas
2. Devaughn Vele
3. Dontayvion Wicks
4. Adonai Mitchell
5. Mack Hollins
6. Tre Harris
7. Rashod Bateman
8. Keenan Allen
9. Kendrick Bourne

Best Week 2 Waiver Wire Pickups: Tight Ends

1. Dalton Schultz
2. Michael Mayer
3. Pat Freiermuth
4. Evan Engram
5. Greg Dulcich

Quarterback Waiver Targets, Week 2

1. Carson Wentz, Vikings – Available in 99.9% of ESPN leagues

I am operating under the assumption that Wentz will get the start this week. If he does, he will face a Bears team that both wants to score a lot of points and appears to have an exploitable defense. Bryce Young put up 361 yards and 3 touchdowns against Chicago last week. Perhaps Minnesota's defense limits the game upside, but my early read is the Bears will create game environments we want to chase this season.

2. C.J. Stroud, Texans – Available in 74.3% of ESPN leagues

Stroud was one of my consistent QB2/QB3 targets in best ball because I expected a better passing game in 2026. I did not expect the defense to get shredded in Week 1, and the most likely outcome is still Houston's defense being among the best in the league by the end of the season. They get another good offense this week in the Bengals, though, and Cincinnati's revamped defense is probably not as good as their 4(!) fumble recoveries made them look against the Bucs.

3. Malik Willis, 49ers – Available in 79% of ESPN leagues

Not much to say about Willis. He only threw for 220 yards with 0 touchdowns against the Raiders, but he rushed for 39 yards and a score. He is a great floor play for streamers, even in a tougher matchup against the 49ers, and the upside is there if the passing stats hit. It's also worth noting that the 49ers are returning from a long stay in Australia, which could hurt.

Watch List: Bryce Young is coming off an outstanding game, but I would like to see it again before I go all in. The Falcons also did a decent job on defense in Week 1, but their lackluster offense will not push Young the way the Bears did in Week 1…Geno Smith was close to a recommended streamer for me, but the Packers defense was not actually that bad in Week 1. We will see how this develops. He is a great look-ahead add with the Lions and Bears next up after the Packers…Jacoby Brissett gets a tough draw this week against the Seahawks, but we hopefully will get some more fun shootouts from this offense this year as we did at the end of last season…The Cardinals played well on defense in Week 1, and the Seahawks will likely limit Drew Lock‘s dropbacks as much as possible…Michael Penix and Shedeur Sanders are likely already rostered in 2QB formats, but it is only a matter of time before both take over as the starter on their team.

Running Back Waiver Targets, Week 2

1. Kaelon Black, 49ers – Available in 84.6% of ESPN leagues

The 49ers might actually be living up to their word and limiting Christian McCaffrey‘s touches. Black finished with 4 more carries than McCaffrey in Week 1, and he out-carried CMC 7 to 3 in the first half. We have to question Black's ultimate upside, with McCaffrey likely to handle most of the pass-catching role and the goal-line opportunities, but for now, Black looks like a prime handcuff who can also offer some weekly points in a pinch. That is a must-roster player.

2. Tyler Allgeier, Cardinals – Available in 58.3% of ESPN leagues

Allgeier is a little above my normal cutoff, but I expect him to be a hot topic this week after playing 9 more snaps and getting 6 more touches than Jeremiyah Love. I will not push back on Allgeier as an add where he is available, but I think this could be his high-water mark for the season unless Love goes down with another injury. The rookie was coming back from a preseason injury, and while the team says he was not on a snap count, I expect Love to take on a larger and larger share of the backfield work as the weeks progress. That would make Allgeier more of a handcuff and touchdown-or-bust fantasy play, if I am right. To be fair, that is probably what Black is, too, but he is in what I expect to be a better offense.

3. Chris Rodriguez, Jaguars – Available in 69.2% of ESPN leagues

While the touch disparity was massive, with Bhayshul Tuten getting 16 to Rodriguez's 6, the snap count was relatively even: 27 for Tuten to 23 for Rodriguez. The route rate was equal, with both players running 8 total routes. We just don't know enough about this backfield following a blowout game script to make any season-long judgments, so I want to hold Rodriguez if possible to see how things shake out.

4. Chris Brooks, Packers – Available in 88.5% of ESPN leagues
5. Kaleb Johnson, Packers – Available in 93.9% of ESPN leagues

Despite an awful first-week showing, I am still interested in the Packers backfield. Green Bay's offensive line didn't offer much help, ranking 25th in ESPN's run-block win rate, but MarShawn Lloyd also struggled to create on his own. Those struggles could open up an opportunity behind him. Brooks already played more snaps than Lloyd in Week 1 thanks to his role in the passing game – he was asked to pass protect 20 times to just 9 for Lloyd – and Brooks has the most experience in the offense. That would make him the most obvious pivot, but Green Bay could also view him as more of a complementary back. If so, that would open the door for Johnson as he gets more comfortable in the offense. Neither is more than a speculative add in deeper leagues.

6. George Holani, Seahawks – Available in 95.8 of ESPN leagues

It seems safe to assume Jadarian Price‘s role will grow after a good showing in his first game, but Holani played just 3 fewer snaps and saw just 4 fewer touches than the first-round pick. Especially with Seattle's defense looking great and Sam Darnold set to miss some time, we should see the Seahawks lean on the backfield. That would open up opportunities for Holani.

Watch List: Ray Davis, Emmett Johnson, and Mike Washington Jr. remain my favorite pure handcuff stashes, even for teams without their respective lead backs on the roster. Brian Robinson Jr, Samaje Perine, Braelon Allen, Jonah Coleman, and Seth McGowan are a tier below but also worth knowing…Alvin Kamara should be back this week, but that could turn this backfield into a three-headed nightmare with Kendre Miller getting 9 carries in the season opener…The Chargers disappointed as a whole in Week 1, and Keaton Mitchell earned just 4 touches. He played 16 snaps and clearly has big-play upside, but he's a stash at this point in deep leagues.

Deep Cuts: Without a reliable backup, the Lions rode Jahmyr Gibbs into the ground in Week 1. That does not seem like a great long-term plan, so we will see if they make any additions. Sione Vaki worked as the No. 2 against the Saints, playing 22 snaps with 3 touches, but it would not be shocking if they added a veteran like Kareem Hunt this week…Kaytron Allen did not play enough snaps behind Jacory Croskey-Merritt and Rachaad White to be a clear add, but he did get 4 carries, including 1 inside the five-yard line…Especially since Tyrone Tracy fumbled yet again, Devin Singletary looks like the clear complementary back to Cam Skattebo, though Najee Harris would certainly be active and involved if Skattebo missed time…It is the Browns, but with Dylan Sampson expected to miss some time, Raheim Sanders is next up behind Quinshon Judkins and ran the same number of routes in Week 1.

Wide Receiver Waiver Targets, Week 2

1. Caleb Douglas, Dolphins – Available in 84.5% of ESPN leagues

Douglas was actually second on the team in targets and ran fewer routes than Malik Washington – more on Washington below – but he was easily the most productive of Miami's receivers, catching 5 passes for 94 yards. There are certainly concerns about Douglas' long-term fantasy value. As mentioned, Washington earned more targets. We expect Miami to be as run-heavy as possible this season. We could see Chris Bell earn a bigger role as he gets healthier. All that said, Douglas is the receiver add this week with the best chance to be the long-term No. 1 option in his passing game.

2. Devaughn Vele, Saints – Available in 87.1% of ESPN leagues

Because of overtime and the trailing game script that led to it, the Saints easily led the league in dropbacks in Week 1. That means all raw totals need to be taken with a grain of salt, but Vele's rate stats were still promising. He was on the field for 93.5% of the dropbacks, saw a 17.3% target share, and converted an end-zone target. Vele was also a big part of the offense following the Rashid Shaheed trade last year before going down with an injury, lending credence to this usage. Vele will almost certainly move down the target tree whenever Jordyn Tyson returns, but we have no idea when that will be. Until then, he should be a primary target for the Saints.

3. Dontayvion Wicks, Eagles – Available in 89.9% of ESPN leagues

Wicks hit in a big way in the season opener, catching 2 passes for 73 yards and a touchdown. That catch total was not impressive, and his 4 targets left something to be desired, but he was nearly an every-snap player. Moving forward, we have real questions about this passing game as a whole, and Makai Lemon could push for a larger share of the targets, though his -5 yards on 3 catches in Week 1 was not a strong opening. Even with those concerns, we now have good evidence that Wicks will be on the field a lot for the Eagles.

4. Adonai Mitchell, Jets – Available in 84.5% of ESPN leagues

Omar Cooper left early with an injury. Mitchell might have been the clear No. 2 anyway, but now he is locked into that role while the rookie recovers. Mitchell has commanded targets when on the field throughout his career – 24.6% target rate per route – and the Jets will likely need to throw more as the schedule gets tougher in the coming weeks against the Packers, Lions, and Bears.

5. Mack Hollins, Patriots – Available in 99.6% of ESPN leagues

The Patriots will hope the answer is Romeo Doubs with A.J. Brown out, and the waiver answer could end up being DeMario Douglas. Douglas did run a route on 80.8% of the dropbacks without Brown on the field in Week 1, but he was once again primarily a slot player. That role means he can fall in and out of the target tree depending on how often the Patriots use three-receiver sets. The Patriots used two or more tight ends on 21% of their dropbacks opening night, and that rate was 24% in 2025. Hollins is much more likely to be on the field for those snaps than Douglas and much more likely to get the downfield and end-zone targets that actually matter for fantasy. We also saw Hollins average a 4-53 line over his final nine games of last year in a receiving corps that was probably better than this one without Brown.

6. Tre Harris, Chargers – Available in 96.1% of ESPN leagues

We still are not sure how long Ladd McConkey will miss, if he misses any time at all. If McConkey does sit, though, Harris looks poised to be the No. 2 option in the passing game. He ran a route on 77.1% of dropbacks in Week 1 and tied for second on the team with 6 targets. We need the Chargers offense to be better for Harris to really hit as a fantasy play, but the opportunity could be there for a couple of weeks.

7. Rashod Bateman, Ravens – Available in 91.2% of ESPN leagues

Is it good that Bateman drew a single target in a game both Zay Flowers and Ja'Kobi Lane left early? I am going to say no, but he at least ran a route on 93.1% of the dropbacks. If Flowers is forced to miss time, Bateman is the best bet to be on the field, which makes him the better bet for targets than the group of unproven receivers behind him. Given how good the Ravens' passing game and Lamar Jackson were in Week 1, I will bet on Bateman's route participation against the Saints, assuming Flowers is out of the lineup.

8. Keenan Allen, Colts – Available in 71% of ESPN leagues

Allen got a route boost with Alec Pierce still working his way back from injury, but he is likely to be a meaningful part of the Indy offense all season. The fantasy upside is questionable, and I would rather hold a higher-upside player if you're just looking for a bench stash, but Allen should provide some baseline points in PPR formats.

9. Kendrick Bourne, Cardinals – Available in 99.9% of ESPN leagues

Bourne has to be on this list because he is available in nearly every league and saw 8 targets in Week 1. That may continue, but it was a relatively low-upside role (5.1 air yards per target) that closely mirrors how Trey McBride is used in the passing game. Jacoby Brissett got rid of the ball within 2.5 seconds on 75.7% of his dropbacks in Week 1, easily the highest rate in the league. Even if that is the long-term plan on offense, that number has to come down. Aaron Rodgers led the league last year at 60.4%. I expect the targets behind McBride to lean more toward Michael Wilson and Marvin Harrison moving forward.

Watch List: Malik Washington ran more routes than Caleb Douglas, had 1 more target, and was consistently used downfield, which is not how he was utilized in his first two seasons under the old coaching staff. This could be a blind spot for me. Perhaps I am just chasing the rookie over the player we have seen for a couple of seasons. Still, Washington has a two-season history of being more of a low-upside target earner, and I am putting more stock in that after Week 1…It was great to see Malachi Fields involved early, but he still ran fewer routes than Darnell Mooney, and he is at best the No. 3 target in the passing game for a team that wants to lean on the run as much as possible…Denzel Boston was a nearly every-snap player and found the end zone. I would not push back on him as a speculative add, but I am not that interested in getting involved in the Browns' passing game…Tre Tucker is the No. 1 receiver in Las Vegas. The question is, will that matter for fantasy, especially once Brock Bowers is back…We will see if Kayshon Boutte‘s route share grows as he becomes more comfortable in the offense, but once again, Xavier Hutchinson is likely to run a lot of routes.

Deep Cuts: I know Kalif Raymond was targeted 9 times in Week 1. I just can't imagine that continues on a team with Colston Loveland, Luther Burden, and Rome Odunze…Talked about DeMario Douglas already with Hollins, but the lede is that he is more of a part-time player with a career 7.1 air yards per target. Still, that is valuable in deep leagues…I don't expect Pat Bryant to lead the Broncos receivers in targets many weeks, but it was promising to see his preseason camp buzz turn into real opportunities…I really want to be in on Ted Hurst, but it appears likely Jalen McMillan is ready for Week 2. Still, Hurst is a stash in deeper leagues…Ryan Flournoy is probably the closest thing we have to a wide receiver handcuff…Antonio Williams had a great NFL debut, but he ran just 11 routes. He remains just a stash in deep leagues…Cyrus Allen ran a single route in Week 1…LaJohntay Wester and Chris Moore were the Ravens WRs who stepped up in Week 1, but Devontez Walker and Elijah Sarratt should be active in Week 2 if Zay Flowers sits…Devaughn Vele will rightfully get the attention, but Bryce Lance ran 45 routes and earned 4 targets in Week 1…With De'Zhaun Stribling down for a while, Demarcus Robinson will likely see a lot of action moving forward. I am just not sure how many targets he will get.

Tight End Waiver Targets, Week 2

1. Dalton Schultz, Texans – Available in 80.2% of ESPN leagues

Schultz once again played a large role in the Houston passing attack in Week 1, running a route on 76.2% of the dropbacks and commanding 8 targets. That led to just 4 catches for 35 yards, but I like his matchup this week against the Bengals. Cincy had the worst tight-end defense in the league last season, and while they have improved at key positions, I still view their linebackers as a weakness.

2. Michael Mayer, Raiders – Available in 70.2% of ESPN leagues

I am operating under the assumption that Brock Bowers will not be back this week, and we got the usage we wanted out of Mayer in Week 1, even if it did not result in great counting stats. Mayer ran a route on 77.4% of the dropbacks and commanded 24.1% of the targets. Mayer is obviously not Trey McBride, but the Chargers did just give up a 9-95-1 line to Arizona's top target.

3. Pat Freiermuth, Steelers – Available in 85.4% of ESPN leagues

Penn State Legend Freiermuth was one of my later-round best-ball targets because I expected him to be a bigger part of the passing game this year. That was true for at least one week. Freiermuth ran a route on 73.8% of the dropbacks and earned 5 targets. He turned one of those into a touchdown.

4. Evan Engram, Broncos – Available in 97% of ESPN leagues

I am not fully buying into Engram or anything. The Broncos still have plenty of receivers who should command targets, and Engram was a part-time player in the same offense last season. That said, he did run a route on 69.7% of the dropbacks on Monday night, and he ran as many routes as Jaylen Waddle in the first half. He also led the team in receiving and found the end zone. That was only 43 yards on a pitiful night for the Broncos overall, but it was still a promising start after last year's forgettable season.

5. Greg Dulcich, Dolphins – Available in 96.6% of ESPN leagues

It is not quite time to give up on Dulcich. Yes, he is in an offense that is likely to be near the bottom of the league in neutral pass rate. Yes, he only saw 2 targets in Week 1. He was on the field for a solid 75.7% of the dropbacks, though, for a team that needs weapons in the passing game.

Watch List: David Njoku had a solid game, catching 5 passes for 58 yards, but he ran just 17 routes because of the Chargers' rotation at the position. Charlie Kolar ran 12, and Oronde Gadsden was on the field for 5…Kenyon Sadiq scored a rushing touchdown on a jet sweep and saw 3 targets, but his route rate needs to grow before he is a real fantasy option. He ran a route on just 46.2% of the dropbacks in Week 1…I want to believe in Penn State Legend Mike Gesicki‘s Week 1 performance more than anyone, but the underlying numbers look very similar to last year with a 45.9% route rate. His 5-78-1 line looks more like a one-off…Preseason fantasy darling Terrance Ferguson fell into the Rams' tight end vortex, seeing just 1 target on a 44.8% pass rate. Four Rams tight ends ran a route in Week 1…Penn State Legend Brenton Strange found the end zone in Week 1, but I still have questions about his weekly target upside with so many quality receivers in Jacksonville…We need Gunnar Helm to run more routes and the Titans' passing game to improve before he becomes a real fantasy option…Darren Waller was a part-time player in his first game with the Panthers. That role may grow, but it will be hard for him to be a consistent fantasy contributor until it does…Eli Raridon is an interesting hold in deeper leagues and obviously found the end zone in Week 1, but he ran a route on just 23.8% of New England's dropbacks…Noah Fant found the end zone and commanded 8 targets, but he ran just 18 routes. That usage looks like an outlier.